Iowa Fishing Report 02-17-11

Basshawk

Iowa Fishing Report Officer
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Location
North Liberty, Iowa
#1
For immediate release: February 17, 2011

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues a weekly fishing report on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report.

NORTHWEST
Crawford Creek Impoundment
There is water standing on the ice and conditions are getting sloppy. Bluegill - Slow: Some bluegills are being caught on wax worms fishing in 10 to 20 feet of water.

Brushy Creek Lake
Few fish are being caught. Ice conditions remain fair on the main lake, but ice is starting to melt around submerged trees.

Bacon Creek Lake
The DNR stocked 1,500 rainbow trout on January 8. Anglers need a trout stamp in addition to their regular fishing license to fish for or keep trout. Daily limit of trout is 5.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
There is a lot of water on top of the ice at Storm Lake. Last weekend anglers did fair for walleyes. A few caught limits of walleye averaging 14 to 15 inches. Anglers were scattered all over the lake.

Swan Lake
Use caution as open water areas from the aeration system can open up more in this warmer weather.

Browns Lake
As of Wednesday ice was approximately 12 inches thick. Reports have been good on crappie with the best fishing happening at 2 p.m. and later.

Lizard Lake
Yellow perch fishing has slowed down quite a bit from a few weeks ago. There was still a lot of angling pressure as of last weekend. Ice is weakening around the shoreline.

Snow is melting rapidly in the area and ice conditions are starting to degrade. For more information on the lakes and rivers in this area contact Ben Wallace or Don Herrig at the Black Hawk Fish Management Office in Lake View at 712-657-2638.

Lake Smith
Ice thickness is 18 to 20 inches. Bluegills are biting in the late afternoon on wax worms.

Lake Catherine
Ice thickness is 20 to 22 inches. Bluegills are biting on wax worms at dusk.

Clear Lake
Ice thickness is 24 to 26 inches. There is a lot of slush and water on the ice making travel difficult. Yellow bass fishing is fair; the best bite is from 3 p.m. until dark - you have to move around to stay on fish. A few walleyes are being caught on the west end of the lake using minnows in 6 to 8 feet of water.

Lake Cornelia
Ice thickness is 20 to 22 inches.

Rice Lake
Ice thickness is 20 to 22 inches. Yellow perch are biting on wax worms and minnows; it’s going to take some sorting to get a limit of keepers.

Silver Lake (Worth)
Ice thickness is 22 to 24 inches. No fishing activity reported

Blue Pit
Ice thickness is 20 to 22 inches. Rainbow trout fishing is slow, try using small jigs tipped with wax worms.

Bluebill Lake
Ice thickness is 22 to 24 inches. Bluegill and a few perch are biting on wax worms. The best bite is a first light.

Interstate Park Lake
Ice thickness is 20 to 22 inches. A few bluegill and crappie are biting at dusk.

For more information on fishing in the area lakes and rivers, call the Clear Lake fisheries office at 641-357-3517.

Lake Pahoja
Bluegill - Good: Anglers are reporting good catches of bluegills. Crappie - Good: Some crappie are being caught while fishing for bluegill.

Big Spirit Lake
Ice conditions are still good; however use caution when deciding to drive on the lake as accesses are becoming covered in water from snow melt. Walleye season is now closed until May 7. Bluegill - Good: Anglers are reporting good numbers of bluegill fishing by the north grade about 50 feet from the road, as well as in Angler's Bay. Some crappies are being reported while fishing for bluegill. Yellow Perch - Good: Fish are being caught on the main lake basin using small ice jigs tipped with wigglers, wax worms, and artificial blood worms. Anglers are experiencing successful catches on the north side of the lake, as well as Marble Beach, Big Stoney, Templar Park, and Cottonwood Point. Some success has been reported in Angler's Bay.

West Okoboji Lake
Bluegill - Good: Fish in the bays with small ice jigs tipped with wax worms/wigglers or plastics. Bluegills are still aggressively biting, but sorting is needed for larger bluegill. Yellow Perch - Good: Some anglers are reporting good catches of perch off of Triboji access and Hayward’s Bay.

Trumbull Lake
Yellow Perch - Good: Anglers are reporting good catches of perch on the south side of the lake.

Ice conditions are good on area lakes; however extreme caution should be used when ever going out onto the ice. Lakes north of U.S. Highway 20 have received an extension on leaving permanent ice houses on the ice overnight until February 27th or until ice conditions become poor. This extra week should be used to remove houses from area lakes. Also, remember that walleye season is now closed on Big Spirit, East Okoboji, and West Okoboji until May 7.

NORTHEAST
Volga Lake
Please use caution when going out on the ice. A lot of snow has melted. Bluegill - Fair: Try finding the brush and rock piles and fish off to the side of them. Crappie - Slow:

Lake Hendricks
Fish activity has been slow but lots of anglers have been out enjoying the beautiful weather. Ice has a lot of slush on top from melting snow. Bluegill - Fair: Crappie - Slow:

Lake Meyer
Anglers report best luck around brush piles or a drop off. Use caution when going out on the ice. The surface is getting slushy. Northern Pike - Slow: Try using a tip-up tipped with a half a minnow. Bluegill - Good: Crappie - Fair: Yellow Perch - Slow:

Decorah District Streams
Due to the amount of snow melting, some of our area streams are up and slightly off color. Don't let this deter you from coming. Some of our best brown trout fishing is during this time. For more information on stocking go to http://www.iowadnr.gov/fish

We've had much of our accumulated snow melt in the last three days causing some of our streams to come up. For more information about a particular river or stream, call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324.

Big Woods Lake
Crappie - Fair: Crappie fishing has been best early morning and late afternoon into the evening.

Brinker Lake
Crappie - Fair: Crappie fishing has been best early morning and late afternoon into the evening.

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Walleye fishing has been good on the Cedar River on jigs and minnows. Walleye - Good: Walleye fishing has been good on jigs and minnows.

Ice fishing has slowed at Bremer and Black Hawk County lakes. Trout streams remain in excellent conditions in northeast Iowa. For further information contact the Manchester district office at 563-927-3276.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
Ice depth generally well 12 inches but conditions could change with the warm weather and high water levels. Please use caution in places like Minnesota Slough especially when driving vehicles on the ice. High water levels in the river have made many pockets of treacherous ice. Generally the fishing has been slow over the past week but the warm weather should trigger better angling. Northern Pike - Fair: A few reports of pike are being taken on tip ups in the Minnesota Slough area. The northern pike population is very robust, and many pike are present in most backwater systems. If using ATV to set tip-ups, please use caution as some open water exists in unusual places this year! Bluegill - Fair: Minnesota Slough and Indian Lake by New Albin are fair. Some bluegills are being reported from Becks Lake but action is slow. Bear paw and Cordwood Lake have had some bluegill biting but it has generally been slow to fair fishing. Near Lansing, fishing in the Marina and in Phillippi Lake has been good at times. DeSoto Bay on the Wisconsin side has seen lots of fishing pressure throughout the ice fishing season. Crappie - Slow: A few crappies in the 10-inch range are being reported from the backwater lakes off Minnesota Slough. These include Cordwood, Bear Paw and Fish Lake. Fishing however remains slow but bite is expected to pick up due to warming conditions. Yellow Perch - Fair: A few nice perch reported from Shore Slough and Minnesota Slough. Some jumbo yellow perch are being reported in Pool 9 but they are very unpredictable when they will bite. Yellow perch can take areas with slight current flow and the bite usually gets better for jumbo perch later in the ice fishing season.

Mississippi River Pool 10
Ice depth is generally over 12 inches but conditions could change with the warm weather and rising river. Crossing over Wylusing Slough into Norwegian Lake is not advised. Generally the ice fishing has been slow over the past week but the warm weather may trigger better fishing. For those wanting to access the Lynxville tail water as of Thursday noon was still iced in. Call for current conditions. Northern Pike - Fair: Some smaller northern pike were being caught on tip-ups using larger shiners as bait. The warm weather and run off may trigger better pike fishing. Bluegill - Fair: Some bluegills are being reported near Ambrough Slough and Greymore Lake by Prairie Du Chien. Sny Magill area has been slow. Bussey Lake has slowed a bit but still is cranking out some bluegills. Anglers are reporting that it is usually a "day bite." Although the bite is slow some very nice sized bluegills are being taken in places like Sny Magill. Crappie - Fair: A few nice crappies in Bussey but fishing has slowed. Sny Magill fishing has been poor but should pick up with warming conditions. Most crappies reported are around 10 inches. Yellow Perch - Fair: Some nice perch reported from sloughs in the Prairie Du Chien area, and in Sny Magill. Yellow perch fishing can get better later in the winter and some jumbo yellow perch exist in many of the backwaters of Pool 10. Sauger - Slow: The tail waters still have a lot of current due to the high water going into the winter. This has made fishing for sauger difficult as they do not appear to be in their normal winter locations. As of Wednesday the ramp at Lynxville was not open and still had significant ice in front of ramp. Call the Guttenberg fisheries station for current conditions.

Mississippi River Pool 11
Ice conditions in most backwaters well over 12 inches but the condition of the ice could change with warm weather and rising river. Unsafe ice condition could develop around shorelines and areas with current should be avoided. The boat ramps at Guttenberg are not open as of Thursday at noon. Both the ramps look like they could open at any moment but still have significant ice keeping boats from launching. Anglers can call the DNR office in Guttenberg for current conditions. Bluegill - Slow: Zollicoffers in lower Pool 11 is still “hit or miss,” but some nice fish have been taken. All season the best bite seems to be late afternoon but lately fishing has been poor. Melt water will improve oxygen conditions and should trigger a bite! Crappie - Fair: A few crappies are being taken in Zollicoffer's Lake by Dubuque and Swift Slough by Guttenberg. Yellow Perch - Fair: During later season ice often yellow perch fishing can get better. Perch can withstand a slight bit of current and sometimes are found in backwater areas with minimal flow. Bluegills typically avoid such areas. Some very large perch have been caught out of Mud Lake but the bite is very unpredictable. Sauger - Fair: As of noon Thursday all ramps in Guttenberg remain iced in but conditions could change rapidly. Some sauger are being caught in the tail water on jigs and minnows. Anglers are encouraged to call the DNR office in Guttenberg for current ramp conditions. Walleye - Slow: As of noon Thursday all ramps in Guttenberg remain iced in but conditions could change rapidly. A few smaller walleyes have been reported most of the winter. Anglers are encouraged to call the DNR office in Guttenberg for current ramp conditions.

Ice conditions in most backwaters is more than 12 inches but the condition could change warm weather and rising river. Unsafe ice conditions could develop around shorelines and areas with current should be avoided.

Mississippi River Pool 12
Ice conditions in most backwaters are fair with more than 10 inches of ice at most lakes. Ice conditions in sloughs or other areas with flowing water are deteriorating quickly with the warm weather and travel on them is not recommended. Use caution and drill test holes. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing has been slow in the backwaters and marinas the past week. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing has been slow in the backwaters and marinas the past week. Sauger - Fair: Anglers are catching sauger in the tail waters pushing small john boats off the ice from O'Learys Lake. Walleye - Fair: Anglers are catching walleye in the tail waters pushing small john boats off the ice from O'Learys Lake.

Mississippi River Pool 13
Ice conditions in most backwaters are fair with more than 10 inches of ice at most lakes. Ice conditions in sloughs or other areas with flowing water are deteriorating quickly with the warm weather and travel on them is not recommended. Use caution and drill test holes. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill are being caught in Brown's Lake, South Sabula Lake, and E**** Lake (the fills). Anglers are sorting through a lot of small fish. Crappie - Slow: The crappie bite has been slow the past couple of weeks. Sauger - Fair: Anglers are catching sauger in the tail waters in Bellevue but are sorting a lot of small fish. Illinois waters are still closed until March 16 and the state line runs through the middle of the main lock chamber. Walleye - Fair: Anglers are catching walleye in the tail waters in Bellevue. Illinois waters are still closed until March 16 and the state line runs through the middle of the main lock chamber.

Mississippi River Pool 14
Ice conditions in most backwaters are fair with more than 10 inches at most lakes. Ice conditions in sloughs or other areas with flowing water are deteriorating quickly with the warm weather and travel on them is not recommended. Use caution and drill test holes. Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing has been slow the past couple of weeks. Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing has been slow the past couple of weeks.

For fishing information in Pool 12-15 of the Mississippi River contact the Bellevue Fish Management and Research Station at 563-872-4976

Mississippi River Pool 16
Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 15 is 6.59 feet and rising. River levels are forecasted to be around 9 feet by Monday. Anglers have been able to launch boats at the Marquette Street ramp in Davenport. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Sauger - Fair: Some saugers are being caught below Lock and Dam 15 on jigs and minnows. Most fish have been on the smaller side. Walleye - Fair: There have been reports of some anglers catching walleye trolling three-way rigs with crankbaits off the tips of the wing dams along Credit Island.

Mississippi River Pool 17
Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 16 is 5.42 feet and rising. Tail water stage is forecasted to be around 8 feet by Monday. Anglers have been able to launch boats at the furthest upstream ramp in Muscatine. Bluegill - No Report: Crappie - No Report: Sauger - Fair: Anglers have been catching some saugers below the dam on jigs and minnows.

Mississippi River Pool 18
Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 17 is 8.45 feet. Anglers are not able to launch boats at Toolesboro yet. Bluegill - No Report: Sauger - No Report: Walleye - No Report:

Mississippi River Pool 19
Tail water stage at Lock and Dam 18 is 6.57 feet. We have received no fishing information for this pool.

Pools 16-19: Ice fishing in the backwaters is not advisable due to the recent warm temperatures and rising river stages. Some tail water fishing is being done for saugers and walleyes. For more fishing information on Pools 16-19 contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

SOUTHEAST
Lake Geode
Ice conditions are declining fast. Use extreme caution if you are going out on the ice. Air temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s will do that. Bluegill - Slow: The bluegill fishing remains slow.

Lake Belva Deer
Ice conditions are deteriorating. Most of the standing water is off the ice now. If you are going out, your best bet is to get on the ice from the south side. The edge on the north side is getting pretty bad. Use caution and drill test holes as you go along. Bluegill - Slow: The bluegills seem to be suspended at about 18 to 19 feet down.

Lake of the Hills
The warmer weather has brought the ice anglers back out. But it is also starting to work on the ice. Drill lots of test holes and be careful around the edge. Also as always stay away from the boathouse and its aeration system. Bluegill - Good: Work the brush piles in the deeper water. wax worms and variety of different jig colors tipped with wax worms are still producing fish. Crappie - Good: Anglers are picking up crappies in the same places they are catching the bluegills. Look for the crappies to be suspended above the bluegills.

Lambach Lake
Lombach has better ice conditions than Lake of the Hills but still use common sense and caution when going out on the ice this time of year. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are again catching some nice bluegills in Lambach. Crappie - Fair: Some nice crappies are being caught on this lake in West Lake Park. The crappies are near or just off the bottom around the habitat.

For more information on the above lakes call the Lake Darling Fisheries Station at 319-694-2430

Iowa Lake
Use caution on the edges of the lake. Bluegill - Good: Limits of bluegills have been reported in the mornings. Fish around brush or pallets with a jig/waxie.

Kent Park Lake
Use caution around the edges of the lake, especially around the inlets. Bluegill - Slow: Fish around brush with a jig/waxie.

Lake Macbride
There has not been much fishing activity on the lake this week and reports are limited. There is still plenty of ice on the main lake, but the shorelines are poor. Use caution when getting on and off the ice. Bluegill - Fair: Fish around almost any structure in 10 to 20 feet. Size is generally small. Crappie - Slow: There are still a few fish being caught but most reports are of smaller fish. Keep moving until you find fish. Find areas that have not had much pressure.

Pleasant Creek Lake
The main lake ice is still good, but the edges may be poor in areas. Use caution. Channel Catfish - Slow: A few catfish have been found in 20 to 30 feet of water. Try a small jigging spoon tipped with waxies, minnow heads, or GULP. Bluegill - Slow: Try around brush piles in the mornings and evenings. Depths of 10 to 15 feet have been reported as best. Yellow Perch - Slow: Fish deep water with a jig/waxie. Fish have been ranging from 4 to 11 inches with most around 7 inches.

Diamond Lake
There are areas of exposed shoreline, so the lake edges could be poor condition. Use caution here. Bluegill - Good: Fish around brush. Size has been generally small but nice ones will be mixed in. Crappie - Good: Look for suspended fish about 6 to 8 feet down. Size has been generally small.

Otter Creek Lake
Use caution around the edges of the lake. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill size has been good. Look for brush piles in 10 feet or more of water. Yellow Bass - Fair: Fish are being caught on jig/waxies or small jigging spoons.

Iowa River (Coralville Lake to River Junction)
As of Feb. 17, flows coming out of Coralville Reservoir are 5,800 cubic feet per second. Flow is predicted to jump to 7,500 CFS on Friday and hold there at least through the weekend. The ice in the pocket is no longer there.

MOST lakes in the area have plenty of ice on the main lake portions, however getting on and off the ice may be difficult or sloppy. For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Red Haw Lake
Ice depths have been reported to be around 10 inches. Use caution when venturing out because there have been some variation in ice thickness. With the warm weather, there is quite a bit of water and slush on the ice so use caution. The geese had been keeping an area open by the dam and the beach so avoid that area. Bluegill - Good: Use teardrop jigs tipped with a wax worm.

Hawthorn Lake (aka Barnes City Lake)
The lake has been drained for a lake renovation and work has begun around the lake. New fish habitat areas are being built along with some new jetties.

Albia (lower)
The Albia Reservoir is currently closed due to snow removal efforts in the town of Albia.

Lake Miami
Use caution due to the amount of water and slush on the ice. Bluegill - Slow: Use small jigs tipped with a wax worm. Try areas along the dam.

Lake Sugema
Use caution when venturing out onto the ice. The standing timber can impede the formation of good ice. There is open water along the north shore around the fishing pier. There is about 10 inches of ice up lake where most of the fishing is taking place. With the warm weather, there is quite a bit of water and slush on the ice so use caution. Angling is also occurring on Tug Forks West with some bluegill being caught. Tug Forks East still has some areas of variable ice thickness so use caution. Bluegill - Slow: Use small jigs tipped with a wax worm. Try fishing within one foot of the lake bottom. Crappie - Fair: Try using wax worms or minnows tipped on a small jig. Try different depths until finding active fish.

Rathbun Reservoir
The lake level is at 903.58 feet with 904.0 feet being normal pool. Ice thickness reports are as follows: Island View Dedication site boat ramp - 10 inches, Glenwood ramp - 10 inches, and Atwell's Landing - 10.5 inches. Use caution because ice thickness has been variable. With the warm weather, there is quite a bit of water and slush on the ice so use caution. Crappie - Slow: Use teardrops jigs tipped with a wax worm or a minnow. Find areas with submerged structure and fish over them. Look for structure in the Honey Creek cove or in Buck Creek.

For further fishing reports in south central Iowa call the Rathbun fish hatchery at 641-647-2406

SOUTHWEST
Rock Creek Lake
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Roberts Creek Lake
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Big Creek Lake
Bluegill - Fair: The bluegill bite has picked up slightly. Anglers willing to search are able to catch some good size fish. Brush piles are still producing, as well as some suspended bluegills near the creek channel in the mid section of the lake. Crappie - Fair: The crappie fishing is night to night. On a good night anglers are coming away with fair catches of 9 to 10-inch fish. The fish that are being caught are coming from the roadbed and the 30 to 40 feet deep creek channel running between the East ramp and Ensign shelter. Use glowing tackle with wax worms, small live minnows, or just minnow heads.

Hickory Grove Lake
Bluegill - Good: The bluegill bite has become more consistent again. They are being caught over sunken habitat in depths of 15 feet or greater. The habitat in the deeper water in the lower half of the lake has been producing the best. Crappie - Fair: Crappie are being caught mixed in with the bluegills. Most are 8 to 10 inches, but some larger ones do show up. Better chances of crappie occur late in the day and into the evening. Stay to the lower two-thirds of the lake. Glow jigs with wax worms or minnows are working.

Lake Ahquabi
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Ankeny Lake (DMACC)
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

Des Moines River (Saylorville to Red Rock)
Walleye - Fair: Anglers have been having some good days below the Red Rock spillway fishing for walleye. They are throwing jigs with twisters and jigs with minnows.

Due to the significant warm up and forecast record high temps for late in the week most water bodies have been removed from the central Iowa report until next week when ice conditions are better known. Most lakes had significant ice with 15 to 20 inches. Larger lakes should remain fishable for some time, just use caution. The fishing that was occurring earlier in the week was showing an improving bite. For questions on Central Iowa lakes and rivers contact Ben Dodd or Andy Otting at 515-432-2823.

Lake Anita
Late season crappie fishing has picked up at Anita. Ice conditions are deteriorating, use caution. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills are being caught on jigs tipped with wax worms in 18 to 20 feet of water. Bluegills are averaging 8 inches with fish up to 9.5 inches being caught. Crappie - Good: Crappie fishing is good using wax worms or minnows early morning and late afternoon. Fish are suspended 6 to 8 feet off the bottom.

Due to the significant warm up and forecasted temps for the week caution is needed as ice conditions are unknown. Most lakes had 12 to 15 inches of ice last week but runoff from melting snow will deteriorate ice quickly. For more information on fishing or ice conditions call the southwest district office at 712-769-2587.

Lake Icaria
Some stretches of shoreline have water near the edge.

Fogle Lake S.W.A.
The shoreline has a lot of water on the ice. Some near-shore areas are open.

Lake of Three Fires
There is some water on the ice. The bite has slowed since the 14th. Bluegill - Slow: Few anglers are venturing out because of the melt.

Green Valley Lake
The lake has been lowered to complete a sediment removal project. There is a little open water at the shore.

Summit Lake
The lake has been drained to complete a shoreline rip rap project and replace the spillway. Refilling is expected later in the summer.

Three Mile Lake
There is some water on the ice. Anglers are still walking out but ice thickness varies. The bite has slowed.

Twelve Mile Creek Lake
There is some water on the ice and some shoreline areas have some water. Ice thickness and quality in the middle of the lake varies. Bluegill - Slow: A few nice sized bluegills are coming from the old roadway between the lake and the west shore in the flooded trees.

Most of the snow has melted. Most ponds and small lakes have a ring of water at the shore. The larger lakes have some open water near shore and water on the ice. Ice thickness varies greatly. Access is can be difficult and dangerous.